ENOUGH IT WILL FLOOD FOR PEOPLE LIVING AND WORKING ALONG THE AU SABLE RIVER... 17:19:47:29 MY UNCLE OWNS THIS BUILDING RIGHT HERE WHICH IS RIGHT ON THE RIVER ICE JAMS ARE ALWAYS A CONCERN THIS TIME OF YEAR... 17:19:59:28 ITS NEVER COME UP TO THE FIRST FLOOR YET BUT IT WASHES OUT NATS/ EXCAVATOR 17:11:40:18 RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THIS CHANNEL OPEN THE ESSEX COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT -- TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF THE RISING WATER LEVELS... 17:12:10:06 THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO DECLARE A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY HERE AND DEPLOY OUR ASSETS OUT TO BREAK UP THE ICE AND KEEP THE FLOW GOING UNTIL WE GET PAST WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO BE THE PEAK FLOW OR THE CREST THE RIVER -- EXPECTED TO CREST SOME TIME OVERNIGHT -- INTO SATURDAY MORNING. THE COUNTY HAS A PLAN IN PLACE -- IN CASE THINGS DON'T GO AS PLANNED... 17:14:16:04 WE WILL EXECUTE AN EVACUATION PLAN WHICH IS ALREADY PLANNED FOR AND AN AUTO NOTICE AND THE PHONES WILL RING AND ASK PEOPLE TO START TO EVACUATE NATS / THE COUNTY -- DOESN'T PLAN ON STOPPING THE ICE REMOVAL...ANY TIME SOON... 17:12:53:11 IT'S A PREVENTATIVE ISSUE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE ANY HOUSES FLOODING 17:21:41:20 I JUST HOPE THAT IT'S WORTH IT FOR NOW, ALL EYES ARE ON THE AU SABLE... 17:21:09:05 I JUST KIND OF FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OKAY WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE WATERS DECIDE TO DO.... IN UPPER JAY, LIZ STRZEPA, NBC5 NEWS. BE SURE TO KNOW W

"My uncle owns this building right here, which is right on the river. If the ice backs up enough, it will flood," Philip Renderer said.For people living and working along the Au Sable River, ice jams are always a concern this time of year."It's never come up to the first floor yet," Renderer said."Right now, we're trying to keep this channel open," said Shaun Gillilland, the chair of the Essex County Board of Supervisors.The Essex County Highway Department is trying to stay ahead of the rising water levels."The best thing to do would be to declare a local state of emergency here and deploy our assets out to break up the ice and keep the flow going until we get past what we think is going to be the peak flow, or the crest," Gillilland said.The river is expected to crest some time overnight into Saturday morning.The county has a plan in place in case things don't go as planned."We will execute an evacuation plan, which is already planned for, and an auto notice and the phones will ring and ask people to start to evacuate," Gillilland said.The county doesn't plan on stopping the ice removal any time soon."It's a preventative issue. We want to make sure we don't have any houses flooding," Gillilland said."I just hope that (all this effort is) worth it," Renderer said. "I just kind of feel like everything's going to be OK."For now, all eyes are on the Au Sable, waiting to see what the waters decide to do.

UPPER JAY, N.Y. —

"My uncle owns this building right here, which is right on the river. If the ice backs up enough, it will flood," Philip Renderer said.

For people living and working along the Au Sable River, ice jams are always a concern this time of year.

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"It's never come up to the first floor yet," Renderer said.

"Right now, we're trying to keep this channel open," said Shaun Gillilland, the chair of the Essex County Board of Supervisors.

The Essex County Highway Department is trying to stay ahead of the rising water levels.

"The best thing to do would be to declare a local state of emergency here and deploy our assets out to break up the ice and keep the flow going until we get past what we think is going to be the peak flow, or the crest," Gillilland said.

The river is expected to crest some time overnight into Saturday morning.

The county has a plan in place in case things don't go as planned.

"We will execute an evacuation plan, which is already planned for, and an auto notice and the phones will ring and ask people to start to evacuate," Gillilland said.

The county doesn't plan on stopping the ice removal any time soon.

"It's a preventative issue. We want to make sure we don't have any houses flooding," Gillilland said.

"I just hope that (all this effort is) worth it," Renderer said. "I just kind of feel like everything's going to be OK."

For now, all eyes are on the Au Sable, waiting to see what the waters decide to do.